Petaluma Municipal Code Section 9.08.130 (Animals at Large) requires dogs off the owner's property to be on a leash not exceeding six feet held by a person capable of controlling the dog. Dogs cited for being at large and over six months old must be spayed or neutered and microchipped at the owner's expense. Section 9.08.180 covers excessive barking and other animal noise.
Petaluma (pop. 59,776, Sonoma County) regulates dogs through Chapter 9.08 of its Municipal Code (https://petaluma.municipal.codes/). Section 9.08.130 (Animals at Large — https://petaluma.municipal.codes/Code/9.08.130) makes it unlawful for any owner or possessor of an animal to allow it to be at large. Dogs are considered 'at large' if they are not on the premises of their owner or under physical restraint by a person capable of controlling the dog by means of a leash not exceeding six feet in length. The leash requirement applies everywhere outside the owner's enclosed property except in designated off-leash dog parks such as Rocky Memorial Dog Park, where licensed dogs may be off leash under voice control. Dogs must be leashed on all trails at Sonoma County's Helen Putnam Regional Park, which has no off-leash area. All dogs over six months of age cited for being 'at large' in violation of Section 9.08.130 must be spayed or neutered and microchipped at the owner's expense as a condition of release from impound. Section 9.08.180 (Dog barking and other animal noise — https://petaluma.municipal.codes/Code/9.08.180) prohibits any animal that, by sound, disturbs the peace of any neighborhood. The Sonoma County Department of Animal Services handles enforcement under contract with the City of Petaluma.
First-offense at-large citations are administrative infractions of $50-$100 under California Food & Agricultural Code Sec. 31108. Impound fees are charged for animals picked up at large; mandatory spay/neuter and microchipping costs are paid by the owner. Repeat or aggressive-dog cases can escalate to potentially-dangerous-dog hearings.
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